Monday, 6 August 2012

A really tough final day. Psychologically I wasn't up for a big push as I was so near the end, I just wanted it to finish! Terrain varied and at times difficult to navigate-had to rely on a compass bearing rather than a path through one of the moors (and even the still had to ask where the right gate to leave was!).

Arrival into Robin Hood's Bay was accompanied by lightning, hail, thunder and heavy rain. Plus the coast path just kept on and on (though the North Sea was pretty). However, I got there and marched through the weather to the sea and threw my pebble at the waves whilst dipping my muddy boot into the sea!

Sunday, 5 August 2012

Something of my own 'Super Saturday' today-a day of pbs in my own Olympic endeavour (tho thanfully I only need to walk - no swimming, fencing or high jump needed today :) ).

It was a 19 mile day, and after saying goodbye to my companions from yesterday, I wanted to make the most of flatter terrain. Here's my timetable:
-9.06am start walking
-11.20am arrive at the Lion Inn (8 miles)
-11.46am leave Lion
-2.36pm arrive in Glaisedale (19 miles)

About 5 hours for my 19 miles. I overtook a few people on the way, two of whom (Joe and Sam) are staying in my b and b. I ate with them - nice to make more friends.

'I'm-a-crazy-musician-better-get-me-out-of-here' moments
-singing my way through a live worship cd (twice)
-conducting my way through Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements and Orff's Carmina Burana...glad no-one saw me but it got me through the tough bits!

Friday, 3 August 2012

Teamed up with a group of 4 from Glossop (5 including Stanley the dog-really loveable). All fine, though we all got lost big-time, coming down the Cleveland Way. Between us we lost the signage, misread the map and wrongly identified surrounding landmarks. Resulted in a wasted 2k at least climbing up onto a ridge, then bashing our way through bracken and bogs to try and find a path, only to descend sharply down a really steep hill to a barbed wire fence below. Partly depending on size, and partly on age we all either shimmied under or clambered carefully over said fence (I got under it), and quickly hustled out of the field before we were spotted...only to end up where we first lost the path and try again...

Eventually we worked it out, and got on track again. Following this was lots of tiring climbs up and down the moors, knees and legs stiffening up more painfully with each successive valley.

A stage whose relatively short mileage belies its difficulty.

Also absent-mindedly lost one of my first-aid kits today, as well and my trusty stick-the latter picked up in the Lakes. Oh well-someone else will get to use it.

'Oh-look-we're-50 miles-further-east-than-we-thought; how-did-we-do-that? moments...
-being welcomed by my other walkers, especially by Stanley the dog
-food, rest, solitude, warmth, Olympics tonight
-seeing the North Sea for the first time! It looked really close and I could see a ship :)

'Oh-look-we're-back-at-St-Bees; how-did-we-do-that? moments
-getting lost
-relentless ups and downs
-legs and knees murmuring 'no!'; the murmuring gets louder...
-first-aid kit and stick being left behind by their doddery owner

Thursday, 2 August 2012

Another good day today-ish! The walk was a shorter one (13.5 miles) but towards the end my legs were flagging. I've gotten into an emotional groove of perseverance now each day-except it's gained such proportion that I feel loath to stop for more than a few minutes at a time-and dogged in desiring keeping going, even if at times it'd do me better to stop and rest.

So the last few miles-uphill through a windy forest-were fought with massive thirst and increasingly rigid legs! But the thought of the usual coffee-and in this case lunch- on arrival kept me going.

Also a lonely day-saw no one I knew for the second day running-though I was happy enough listening to music until my Blackberry started playing up bear the end of the walk...taking the battery out and putting it back in has fixed the problem though.

More than ever tonight, as I see the end in sight, I want to get to the end of this! Both because I'm tired, but also because the closer I get, the more in-reach the end becomes.

Going solo has increased feelings of isolation at times, but on the flip side aids a more focussed determination to keep going, even when part of you wants to stop!

But I was reflecting tonight that the C2C isn't perhaps as great an achievement as my ego would have me think...there are tougher, longer walks out there; my pack could be heavier, the comforts I've enjoyed much less. It puts it into perspective. I just plod on and do my daily mile allotment...

The Youth Hostel tonight is fine-and almost completely empty! I currently have an 8 bed room all to myself.

Wednesday, 1 August 2012

Saw this amazing rainbow over Danby just now-in this picture standing over the Weslyan Chapel.

It encourages me as a reminder of God's kindness and mercy-

Genesis 9 vvs 14-15: 'Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears...I will remember my covenant between me and...all the living creatures...never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.'

'Cracking Toast, Gromit!' moments
-good weather
-soundtrack to the day (sung my way through a live Worship album-glad no-one could here me...)
-arriving in Danby Wiske at half 2 again-my average speed has gone up to about 3mph-as my pack weight has gone down...
-coffee, coke, flapjack at the pub on arrival

'It's the wrong trousers, Gromit!' moments...
-about 4 miles on roads-tiring...
-started with sore back
-got a bit lost coming out of Brompton-on-Swale ('it's the wrong road, Gromit!')
-didn't see any other walkers today